Rogers Delinted Cottonseed - Colorado City
No further Superfund environmental response actions are required at this former cottonseed processing site company in Colorado City, Mitchell County.
Site Background
The Rogers Delinted Cottonseed Company operated at this site from 1965 to 1985, producing cottonseed for planting and, during its final two years, for milling into flour for human consumption. The site is on the northern service road of Interstate 20 (I-20), approximately 0.4-mile west of the intersection of I-20 and State Highway 208, at the northwest city limits of Colorado City.
Of the approximately 49 acres, 18 acres near the I-20 service road served as the former operations area. It includes two storage buildings, a small office with a weigh station, and a process building. The remaining 31 acres are undeveloped land, some of which was used for growing cotton irrigated with acidic wastewater. Diluted sulfuric acid was used to dissolve cotton fibers from the seed in the former operations area. Acidic wastewater was discharged into a pond in that area.
Superfund Registry
The site was proposed for listing on the state Superfund registry in 2006.
Site Summary
After the site was abandoned in 1985, multiple pesticide drums, acid tanks, fungicides, and other containers filled with hazardous materials remained. Site investigation showed that soils had extremely low pH levels at the former wastewater pond, and a small area of soil adjacent to it was contaminated with aluminum.
Response Actions
Beginning in 2005 the TCEQ properly disposed of remaining hazardous wastes off-site and built a fence to restrict access.
Remedial Investigation
In 2007 the TCEQ:
- Conducted extensive soil sampling;
- Installed four shallow groundwater monitoring wells; and
- Sampled groundwater.
Monitoring of the shallow groundwater showed that it was within levels considered to be protective of human health and the environment, but not a viable source of drinking water.
Further Actions
In 2014, a second removal action removed cottonseed waste and debris to decontaminate the buildings. A final action in 2017 raised the soil pH at the former pond area to safe levels and removed the aluminum-contaminated soil.
Current Status
The TCEQ initially selected a commercial or industrial land use designation for the site; however, due to response actions, it is now considered protective for either commercial, industrial, or residential land-use (as defined in the TCEQ Texas Risk Reduction Program rule: Title 30, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 350).
The site is ready to be deleted from its proposed status on the state Superfund registry and for reuse in the community. A legal notice was published on May 10, 2018 in the Colorado City Record newspaper and also on May 11, 2018 in the Texas Register (43 TexReg 3151).